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The Government is preparing to announce, at the end of the Council of Ministers that begins at 9:30 am on Thursday, the closure of nurseries, schools and universities as of Friday. The decision was made yesterday at the end of the day, already after António Costa returned from Brussels, and during a meeting between the Prime Minister, the Minister of Education, the Minister of Health and the Minister of the Presidency. According to PUBLIC, the entire educational system will be closed, after the exponential increase in new cases of infection and deaths from covid-19.
The Minister of State and Presidency, Mariana Vieira da Silva, and the Minister of Health, Marta Temido, met during the afternoon of this Wednesday, by videoconference, with “the experts usually heard at Infarmed meetings for an evaluation of current events epidemiological situation ”, confirmed the Presidency of the Council of Ministers on his Twitter account.
– Presidency of the Council of Ministers (@mpresidencia_pt) January 20, 2021
In the same note, it was explained that the meeting had been fundamental “to understand and analyze the recent evolution of the pandemic, that is, with regard to the presence of the new strain of covid-19, taking into account the possible measures to take to reverse accelerated infection growth “.
Only after this meeting did the two ministers meet with Tiago Brandão Rodrigues and António Costa, who was before the European Parliament. What will no longer take place is the meeting with epidemiologists in Infarmed, on Tuesday, since the discussion was advanced for this Wednesday.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa had already made it clear, this Wednesday in Lisbon, in response to the students who questioned him during a campaign action at the Liceu Pedro Nunes, that the question of whether or not to close schools would “be resumed in the next few hours.” .
“At the moment, we have two new data: the British variant and if the social diffusion is reaching the schools at such a rate that it jeopardizes normal activity. That is what you have to take into account, ”he said. “It is a question that will be asked between tonight and tomorrow [quinta-feira]”He added, insisting that, if the spread is high,” we have to act.
Marcelo understands that the data on infections and deaths released this Wednesday – more than 14,647 and 219, respectively – “must be analyzed” with care and concern.
From Brussels, António Costa confirmed that he spoke with the President of the Republic and commented on the figures of the day, considering them “particularly dramatic and demonstrating the seriousness of the situation in the country”, but admitting that “it is too early to take definitive conclusions. on the measures ”adopted by the Government. “It is known that between the time the measures are taken and those that have been in force for at least two weeks.”
“We cannot make decisions under pressure. Just a few weeks ago the pressure was to open more restaurants, now the pressure is to close more. We have to make decisions based on what are the real realities and what are the effective dynamics, “he said, recalling that this Thursday there is a Council of Ministers.
The Prime Minister insisted, however, that “we must not forget that we all know today what was the social cost and the learning process for children of the closing of schools” in March. “For this reason, it is necessary to have a lot of serenity, be very calm, collect information and make decisions.”
On Tuesday, in Parliament, after Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa spoke about the need to give “a political signal”, putting the possibility of closing schools, the Prime Minister left the door open to such a solution. “If we know that the English strain has become dominant in Portugal, we will most likely have to close schools,” he guaranteed.
Save 1st and 2nd cycle students?
Public school principals continue to believe that students are safe in schools, but admit that fighting the new wave of the pandemic may mean suspending face-to-face classes, as happened last year. If the government decides to do so, it hopes that at least 1st and 2nd cycle students can avoid taking distance classes. The president of the National Association of Directors and Public Schools, Filinto Lima, defends that “any decision of the Government must be based on science” and that, taking into account the opinions that have been made public in recent days, “the position of the experts seem convergent, which is going in the direction of closing schools ”.
If that is the decision, school principals hope that, at the very least, school closings will be limited to students in third cycle and secondary education, and for a limited period of “two to three weeks”, preventing the 1st and 2nd cycle students in schools, proposes Manuel Pereira. “Going home is harmful,” says Filinto Lima. Therefore, the decision should try to minimize the data and focus “on those students who are more autonomous in a situation like this, who are the oldest”.
The beginning of the 2nd academic semester at the universities, which is scheduled for the second half of February, can be anticipated for the end of this month and with distance classes. This is one of the measures that the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities (CRUP) is studying in response to the evolution of the pandemic. Tests that are taking place can also be postponed. With Samuel Silva and Leonete Botelho
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